


Ace of Hearts

by Genius_626



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Relationship, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Fluff, Like really cheesy romance, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Not Beta Read, Romance, The opposite of a slow burn, ace kids figuring out comfotable levels of intimacy, asexual AU, cute awkward ducks, kissing/hugging/cute shit, some homophic behavior from mean background characters, warning: adorable cuddles in later chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:25:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7951552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genius_626/pseuds/Genius_626
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bard Bowman doesn't know what to think when it comes to his sexuality. Thranduil Oropherion, however, sheds a light on his situation by walking into his life. </p><p>The story of two asexual teens, uninterested in sex and just trying to be themselves. Together, they realize that love comes in many forms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all :)) This has been an idea of mine for a while now. I find the lack of asexual representation just about everywhere disturbing, so I've finally decided to publish something. 
> 
> Disclaimer: If you aren't familiar with asexuality, there are a lot of different ways you can identify on the spectrum. I personally am not interested in sex, so I've reflected that in both Bard and Thranduil because I have lots of feelings and need to explore them. I will most likely be including asexual characters in later chapters who do like sex, etc, etc, so stay tuned.

Bard Bowman was a bit of a troublemaker, to say the least.

His parents didn't know quite what to do with him, since he was such a good role model at home. He did his chores, did the dishes, cleaned his room, saved his wages from his part time job; everything you'd expect from a teenager with such good grades, not to mention Captain of Laketown High's rowing team. Whenever he came home from detention, or with a slip saying he’d been suspended, his parents would ask if something was wrong at school. He never had a solid answer for them.

In Bard's eyes, the world was sometimes against him. Mr. Masterson was a nasty excuse for a principal and seemed to only be there to torment him. Masterson hated kids, didn’t respect anyone, and treated the other faculty members terribly. But it’s not as if Bard was trying to be a nuisance on purpose, he just happened to be caught every time he did something remotely out of line. Once he’d gotten detention for breaking up a fight, another time for skipping ahead in the lunch line so that he could get food for a friend with dangerously low blood sugar. Maybe sometimes he had less tact then necessary, but it was always with good intentions.

Of course, there were other things that bothered him. Most of the time, he just didn’t have the words for those kinds of troubles.

It was a Tuesday and first period had just let out. Bard walked across the hall to go to his locker and deposit his math book when he saw a friend just a few lockers down playing tonsil hockey with his girlfriend. Bard looked away immediately, hiding his face with the open door of his locker. He hated PDA, it was the absolute worst and he did’t know why. It wasn’t jealousy, or at least he didn’t think it was. As nice as it would be to have a boyfriend or girlfriend--he honestly didn’t think he had a preference--he wasn’t in need of one like so many of his classmates seemed to be.

Bard peaked out to see his friend, Percy, had stopped and was walking towards him. He closed his locker and tried not to look so flushed.

“Do you really need to do that in public?” Bard said as they headed to their next class together.

“Man, you should know what it’s like.” Percy replied vaguely. Bard frowned.

“What what’s like?”

“I know you’ve never dated, but you’ve gotta have had feelings before. Urges. Desires.” Percy kept elongating every word, making Bard cringe.

“Ewww.” Bard grimaced, turning into their classroom. “I don’t care what feelings you have, it shouldn’t kill you to wait for some privacy."

Percy sat in the second row behind Bard’s normal front row seat. “Has puberty really not hit you yet? I would have sworn the beard was a sign…”

“I’m just different, ok?” Bard said. "Maybe it’ll come later, I’m just not interested right now. I think I’m too young to be dating in the first place.”

Percy shrugged and leaned back in his seat. “Your loss.”

…

Thranduil Oropherion was a born leader, no matter how afraid he was of the world.

To be fair, being president of the LGBT club in a city that wasn’t the most welcoming to queer folk in general wasn’t the easiest of tasks. As much as the others in the club wanted to do more outside of just meeting once a week in the school garden and socialize amongst themselves, it was easy to give in to Thranduil's wish to stay put and stay safe. They’d all been bullied at one time or another, and the school hadn’t done much in the past when they’d asked for help, so they were content in supporting each other quietly.

Thranduil had his hands full most days, his high school career a lively one. He was senior president of the student body, treasurer to the environmentalist club, Captain of the fencing team, and volunteered at the annual shelter. He came from a long line of wealthy businessmen and was the golden boy of Mirkwood Private High.

That all should have been enough to make him happy. He often wondered why he wasn’t, although it really wasn't too big of a mystery.

He’d done everything that an eighteen year old was suppose to in his school. He was an athlete, a straight A student, he’d been to parties, he’d tried drinking, he’d been to dances, snuck into clubs, tried everything that was supposed to make him feel alive…everything but sex.

That was something he’d never admit to anyone, not even to the LGBT club. He’d come out to them as bisexual years ago, as he’d been in relationships with both girls and boys before. What had ended his last relationship was a misunderstanding. His boyfriend at the time had taken the fact that Thranduil didn’t want to have sex as a personal insult; he thought that it meant Thranduil hadn’t wanted him in particular. That incident alone had kept him from asking anyone out for almost a year. He sometimes felt ashamed that he hadn’t yet figured out how to be proud of his asexuality, but there was no one else he thought would understand what it meant, not even in the club.

Some weekends, he just stayed in his room and listened to music, trying to block out the world.

…

Bard worked in retail.

If that didn’t say something about how much patience he has, he didn’t know how else to put it.

Bard wanted desperately to go to college, and he knew his parents wouldn’t be able to pay for much of it, so he was riding on his earnings and what financial aid would give him in the future. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to study, but there wasn’t much choice if he wanted to support himself and his family and not work in retail for the rest of his life.

So here he was, in retail.

A damned group of hoodlums had undone his folding once again, so he’d been busy with that when he noticed a certain blonde looking through the men’s shoe wrack. Bard had seen this boy before, he actually came here often. They’d never spoken, but how could Bard forget the tall, bombshell blonde in skinny jeans and dark sunglasses who strutted as if he were walking on air. Bard knew that his fascination with the blonde wasn’t the kind of “urges” Percy usually teased him about, but he did know that this was the closest he’d gotten to them.

Thranduil stood by the shoes, watching through his shades at the boy with the pony tail folding shirts. He often went shopping here for two reasons. The first being that he liked the shoes and jeans here. The second, that boy. He wasn’t entirely sure that boy even lived in Mirkwood, he’d seen him get on a bus to Laketown once. Shopping and fantasizing about handsome gentlemen always relieved some stress of the day, so he thought he’d indulge himself after a particularly bad day at home.

What he was currently trying to escape was the uneasy and possibly disapproving look from his father. At dinner, his father had asked is he was taking some girl out to the prom and he’d denied that he even liked girls. Out loud. For the first time. It hadn’t even been a straight rejection, just silence for the rest of the meal. He’d left without finishing his food.

He needed a wild fantasy and some damn expensive shoes to forget about tonight.

“Excuse me?” Thranduil said, walking up to Bard as he was finishing up with his folding. “Can you help me over there?”

“Yes, absolutely.” Bard said, trying not to look as utterly surprised as he really was.

“Do you know which shoes cost the most? Because I want two pairs.”

“Um…” Bard looked over to the shelves. He’d never been asked anything like this before, but he could make a pretty good guess by looking at the brands which would be the most expensive.

“I think it might be these.” He said, pulling out a pair of nearly knee high boots. “I’m not sure how comfortable they are. Do you like heels on boots?”

“Sometimes. Let me see.” Thranduil said, taking a seat by a mirror and sliding off his sandals. As he slid the boots over his shinny jeans, he began again. “I also wanted to know when you’re off work.”

“W-what?” Bard stuttered.

“If it’s alright with you, I was wondering if you’d like to get a frozen yogurt or something. My treat.” Thranduil said, getting up and walking around in a circle to feel out the boots.

“Are you…are you asking me out?” Bard said. “Yes. Oh,” the blond held out his hand. “I’m Thranduil by the way. Oropherion.”

“…Bard Bowman.” Bard said, taking the other’s hand and shaking, not believing his luck. “I, um, I would love to, but I don’t get off until closing.”

“I can wait.” Thranduil said. “I don’t want to go home anyway.”

Bard took a moment to let that all sink in before offering his number. What was he doing? Before he knew it, they had exchanged numbers and Thranduil had walked away with two paris of boots.

Bard, unsure of how long he'd been standing and staring int he direction Thranduil had gone, looked back at the shirts to see them scattered across the display again. For once, he didn’t care.

For the first time in a long time, he was very happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Bard and Thranduil's first date, they realize that they have something very important in common.

It was a school night, and he hadn’t finished his homework, but by god, he wouldn’t leave even if his car burst into flames.

After closing at 9pm, Bard had been pleasantly surprised to find Thranduil had texted him a picture of his location in the parking lot, which happened to be a pretty cute selfie as well. How confident was this guy?

When Bard found him, he was a little winded by Thranduil’s ride. It was some kind of souped up sports car, with a detailed paint job and everything. 

“Holy—this is your car?” Bard said.

“It’s one of my dads…” Thranduil started, before he realized how terribly stuck up that sounded. “I prefer hybrids, but my father will havee none of it.”

“Right.” Bard said. “I totally refuse to let you see mine.”

“Oh come on, I showed you mine.” Thranduil have teased, have whined, which made Bard laugh. 

“Really, it’s so old and so rickety. Its ancient history compared to this.”

They eventually got back to the topic of where they wanted to go hang out, which ended up being a local frozen yogurt place called Yo-Zone, and they left separately in their respective cars. Bard called his parents telling them he’d be out for a little while with a friend, and when they asked who, he said someone he knew in Mirkwood from his job. It technically wasn’t a lie. A few minutes later, they were chatting it up again as if they were old friends. They both secretly found it refreshing. They both learned where the other went to school, what sports they played, what subjects like liked and disliked, everything that perfect strangers could cover in a first date type situation. 

When they’d decided that they should had back home, they got up and walked to the parking lot. Bard looked at his flip phone and found that it was almost 11pm and that his parents had left a message saying that they were going to bed and to get home soon.

“Oh my god.” Thranduil said. “What is that?”

Bard looked up, confused for a moment before he realized. “Oh, yeah, I’ve yet to upgrade to a smart phone of any kind, can’t really afford it.”

“I haven’t seen one in forever. It still works?”

“Perfectly. I even put it through the wash once on accident.”

“Amazing.” Thranduil said, laughing softly. He had a brilliant smile, it lit up his whole face. Bard couldn’t get enough of it, for so long he’d only ever seen Thranduil look lonely and a bit cold. If he could make this beautiful man smile like this just by being with him, then he never wanted to stop.

“So, um…” Thranduil started again. They were standing by both of their cars, the blonde leaning against his, arms crossed briefly before he put his hands in his pockets in a slightly nervous fidget. “I feel like I have to warn you about something.”

“Ok?” Bard said, unsure of what the other could be talking about. 

Thranduil cleared his throat and looked determinedly into Bard’s eyes. “I’ve never told anyone this. It’s about my sexuality. I used to think I was bisexual, even pan, but I’ve been learning about myself recently and I know now that I’m ace.”

Bard nodded, keeping eye constant eye contact with Thranduil. “I honestly don’t know what half the things you just said meant.”

They both stared at each other for a moment before Thranduil started to chuckle, which prompted them both to go into fitful giggles for a full minute. 

“Sorry, sorry, I know I’m queer somehow, but I’ve never really known much about anything.” Bard explained. “Laketown’s pretty small, and my school doesn’t have an LGBT club like yours.”

“That’s understandable.” Thranduil said, still smiling. “My family isn’t very diverse that way, so I had to learn everything all on my own. It was only last year that I truly realized what being on the asexual spectrum even meant.”

“Could you explain it to me?” Bard said, butterflies in his stomach for some reason. “I’ve never actually heard of it before.”

“Yeah, of course. Basically, the one common thread between all ace people is that we very rarely or never experience sexual attraction. There are tons of other kinds of attraction, like aesthetic attraction, or something more related to liking someone’s personality or their emotional intelligence or whatever. If you click, you click, regardless whether or not you want to bang them at first site.”

Bard blanched a little. “So, what? Aces’ don’t like sex?”

“That is a myth that needs to be thoroughly busted.” Thranduil said. “Plenty of asexual people like sex and have strong sex drives, we just don’t make our decisions based on sexual attraction because we’re not wired that way.” 

“Interesting.” Bard said, taking a moment to digest all of that. Could…could that be it? The answer to his questioning?

Thranduil stood up straight and away from his car, closer to Bard. "What I wanted to tell you was that I don’t really like sex. I’m not interested and I never have been.” Thranduil looked up a little shyly, the most shy Bard had ever seen him, even if it was only for a moment. “I really like you, so I hope that isn’t a deal breaker.”

“No! of course not!” Bard blurted out, a little ungracefully. Seeing that Thranduil looked relieved, Bard couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Thranduil, I think you just described my sexuality. I’ve never been able to put it into words. I’ve never been interested, I thought that maybe I just wasn’t ready, but, maybe not."

They both stared at each other again, and Bard felt the need to explain more.

“My friends are always teasing me because I’ve never dated, I’ve never understood why anyone would want to have sex in the first place, I’ve never liked going to parties because I just see horny teenagers everywhere and it just makes me feel like something’s wrong with me—“

“Nothing’s wrong with you.” Thranduil said firmly, feeling bold and taking both of Bard’s hands in his. There were nearly tears in his eyes at Bard’s confession. “I think, very selfishly, that there’s something very right with you. I’ve never met anyone else who felt the same way before.”

Neither could stop smiling, and Bard took initiative and wrapped Thranduil in his arms. They’d just met, but even now, Bard knew that this night, this moment might be one of the most important in his life. He felt renewed, hopeful that he could go on from here with less doubt about himself than he’d come in with. And Thranduil, he wanted to hold onto him for as long as possible.

They didn’t know how long they’d been standing there, but it was getting colder.

“We should go. My parents are definitely going to interrogate me tomorrow morning.” Bard said, pulling away very reluctantly. 

“I hope my dad just leaves me alone.” Thranduil said. Before stepping back out of Bard’s space, his eyes darted to the other’s lips. “Can I…can I kiss you?”

Bard felt his face heat up just at the thought. “I’ve never kissed anyone.”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll never do it again.” Thranduil said. “Your hugs will probably keep me satisfied for the rest of my life.”

“That good, eh?” Bard said, trying not to be nervous. “Alright, go ahead, try it.”

Thranduil thought he should come back with something witty, but decided to just kiss him. He tenderly cupped Bard’s face with both hands and leaned in. Their lips touched in a chaste, loving softness, and Bard was sure that his heart had melted, even in the brisk autumn air. When Thranduil pulled back, Bard went to hug him again, burying in face in the crook of the blonde’s neck.

“That good, eh?” Thranduil teased. He could feel Bard nod against him. “So when can I see you again?”

Bard pulled back and thought for a moment. “Would you be apposed to coming to my team’s first race?”

Thranduil’s eyes lit up. “I would love to. And you can come to my first match next week.”

“Brilliant.” Bard replied. “So, um, does this make us boyfriends?”

“It better.” Thranduil said. “Exclusive boyfriends, because I’m not sharing you with anyone.”

“Deal.” Bard laughed. God, how was he going to tell anyone about this?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thranduil gets to experience rowing for the first time, and his father opens up a little

The rest of week went by quickly for Bard. He’d yet to tell anyone but his parents that he’d met someone. He was going to, but seeing as his parents were still a bit confused by the new terminology, (asexual and possibly homo-romantic), he thought it might be best not to tell his friends just yet. He wasn’t sure what their reactions might be, and he wasn’t quite ready for any kind of rejection.

“We honestly thought that maybe you weren’t into girls and might be too shy to come out as gay.” His dad had said. “But whatever you say you are, we’ll support you.”

“Just try not to stay out as late on school nights next time.” His mom had said.

Although he had said as much to them, he couldn’t make any promises.

On Wednesday night, in the midst of studying for a Pre-Calculus test, Bard’s phone started buzzing. He picked it up and saw that Thranduil was calling. They’d been texting all day yesterday, but this was a little unexpected. Bard felt his stomach flip in anticipation and picked up immediately.

“Hello?”

“Hello, handsome.” Came the blonde’s smooth voice. Bard smiled.

“Hey. I don’t think anyone but my mom has ever called me ‘handsome.'”

“Well get used to it." Thranduil said slyly. "Because I think you're really cute."

"God, Thran." Bard said, a little embarrassed, but oddly happy about it. "In that case, I think you're a bit of a looker yourself."

"Only a bit?"

"Just that."

"Boo, you whore."

"Classic quote, there. Is it Shakespeare?"

Bard could hear Thranduil laughing on the other end, and it made his heart flutter. 

"Are you ready for Friday?” Thranduil continued shortly.

“Yeah, I have a math test before the race. Wish me luck.”

“Ew, gross.” Thranduil laughed. “Definitely hope you pass that test, and I’ll be there to cheer you on for the race. So will my dad, apparently.”

Bard pulled away from his desk and went to lie on his bed. “Really? Right, did you end up talking?”

“Yeah, and it was actually better then I thought it would be. I got home and he was still up. He apologized for acing so weird and let me explain everything about my identity.”

“That’s so cool of him.”

“Yeah, it was. Totally unexpected, he’s not usually a ‘share your feelings’ kind of guy. I mean, neither am I, if I’m being honest. But I told him I’d been out with you. He was a little worried that we’d just met, so I told him to come with me to your race. I hope that’s ok.”

“Definitely, definitely ok. You guys can meet my parents then.” Bard said. There was a silent beat between them before he spoke again. “Are we going too fast?”

Thranduil made an indifferent noise. “We’re teenagers, meeting each others parents is more like a necessity. As long as you don’t get me pregnant, I think we’re fine.”

Bard burst out laughing. “I think we can manage! Even if I could get you pregnant, you know that I wouldn’t be close to trying."

“I know.” Thranduil said, chuckling at his own joke. “So, after your race, do you think we could go out to a movie or something? Sorry if I’m planning too much too soon, it’s just that my schedule is always hectic, so I’m taking time off whenever I can.”

“I totally get it. That sounds good, I’ll just need to go back home to shower and change after.”

“So another evening date?”

“Sounds perfect.” 

“Great. It’s on my calendar and everything.”

“I can’t wait.” 

After they said their goodbyes and goodnights, Bard lay in his bed, thinking over the last two days. He’d heard of first love before, and he knew it was foolish, but a part of him didn’t care. He went to bed thinking of what might become of his future with Thranduil in it. 

…

Bard’s race was more exciting than Thranduil thought it might be. He’d never seen competitive rowing before, or the roaring fans, and the Lake in the late afternoon looked absolutely lovely. 

“Laketown is known for their rowing teams.” Thranduil’s father, Oropher, had said when they arrived. “Your mother and I came here once before you were born to see one.”

“Yeah?” Thranduil said, surprised that his father was feeling reminiscent. He barely ever talked about his mother, her death seemed to always weigh down on him. 

After a few minutes of he and his father wandering around the crowded lake, Thranduil saw a pair just a few feet away with jerseys reading “BOWMAN” on the back.

“Dad, I think I found the Bowmans.” Thranduil said, loud enough for them to hear. Both Bard’s parents looked up, so the blonde teenager stepped closer to introduce himself. “I’m Thranduil, I think Bard might have told you about me—“

“Yes, of course! So good to meet you!” Bard’s mother greeted them. “I’m Silvia, and this my husband, Brand.”

“Good to meet you.” Oropher said, shaking both their hands and introducing himself

“Bard tells us you live in Mirkwood?” Brand asked.

“Yes, I run Woodland Industries…"

As the conversation veered off into the adult realm of businesses and hobbies, Thranduil left their parents to see if he could get closer to the lakeshore and find Bard. He was in luck, and a little surprised to him without a shirt on. He was in the process of slipping on a swim shirt, so Thranduil waited for him to be done before waving to try and get his attention. 

“Thran, hey!” Bard greeted happily. He bounded over to the blonde, and in no time, they were hugging. It was so easy, so new, and so comforting just to be in each others arms.

“I wanted to wish you good luck.” Thranduil said. "And I found your parents, so we’ll be sitting by them. Your dad has already started a rousing conversation about fishing.”

“Right, the family hobby. I’ll have to take you out here sometime.” Seeing Thranduil’s fake excited face made him laugh. “I promise it won’t be boring.”

“If you say so.” Thranduil said. “I at least love the view."

Bard smiled. “So, do I get a kiss for luck?”

Thranduil smirked. “Any time, handsome.”

A quick peck was all they had time for as Bard’s coach called everyone in. Bard retreated, beaming with confidence, and Thranduil walked back to their parents with a private happiness, making his step a little lighter. He’d been going about the last few days feeling a sense of belonging and validation that he’d never felt before. He didn’t think it was all because of the beginning of this whirlwind romance, but also because he’d found someone who truly understood him in a way no one else did. It was a special feeling.

When the race started, the crowd really came alive. It was infectious, even though this kind of rowdiness wasn't Thranduil’s usual cup of tea. His fencing tournaments were much more subdued, tense even. With that said, he did find himself cheering loudly at times, Bard’s parents’ excitement was just too infectious. 

“How long has he been rowing?” Thranduil asked when the race was over. They were all waiting for Bard in the parking lot.

“Since freshman year of high school.” Brand said. “At the time, I was keen on trying to get him transferred to the public school in Mirkwood so that he could join the archery team. But he wanted to stay here and try something new, so how could I stop him?”

“He does archery too?” Thranduil said, more excitedly than he’d wanted, making Silvia smile. 

“Brand taught him, they started when he was around seven years old.” She said. “You should ask him to show you one of these days.

“I just might.” Thranduil said, seeing Bard a distance away over Silvia’s shoulder. His team hadn’t won, but by the expression on his face, Thranduil could tell that he didn’t care.

“Great race, son!” Brand said when he came up to them, putting an arm around him. “We’ll get ‘em next time.”

“Hopefully.” Bard said, looking over the Thranduil and Oropher. He held his hand out to the older man. “Hi, I’m Bard.”

“Glad to finally meet you. That’s one hell of a sport.”

“Right?” Bard replied. His gaze darted over to Thranduil. “Did you like it?”

“If he didn’t, he’s very good at pretending.” Silvia said. 

“Hey, I like it. I liked it a lot.” Thranduil assured Bard. 

“Good, I’m glad.” Bard said. “I’ll see you later, then?”

“Yeah, let me know when you’re ready.”

“Another date?” Brand asked. “Well, at least it’s not a school night.”

…

Drives with Oropher were usually quiet, but Thranduil’s father seemed to want to talk tonight.

“You know, your mother was demi-sexual.”

Thranduil took a moment to process what he’d just said. “Really?”

Oropher nodded, his eyes still on the road. “She told me that one day, maybe a year before she passed. She said it meant so much to her to know that there were other people like her and that she wasn’t alone. She felt she’d really solved a lifelong mystery.”

Thranduil thought of his mother; of her kind and loving personality. It made sense. “That’s how I felt.” He said after a moment. "Well, except I thought I couldn’t tell anyone. Not until I met Bard.”

“I’m glad you found someone who understands.” Oropher said. "I look back and think…I could have been more supportive.”

A few minutes passed, Thranduil not knowing what to say. He’d been so young when his mother died of cancer, he didn’t really know what his parents’ relationship had been like. 

“Bard’s coming over tonight.” Thranduil said eventually. They’d been texting, planning out their date, and had decided to stay in and hang out. "We’re just going to watch a movie, maybe two."

“Fine by me.”

Thranduil wondered if all this would bring about a new side of his father. Oropher was usually reserved and not entirely too warm, although he meant to be. Maybe seeing his son this happy, or finding his way in the world, would make their time together easier. Like it used to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard and Thranduil's second date is a little more intimate than the last. And Bard finds out what sometimes happens to an openly queer person in a small, conservative town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some homophobic bullying near the end

The Bowman’s drive home was also an eventful one. 

“So,” Silvia had started. “And I’m just asking for clarity, but we don’t have to worry about the two of you when it comes to talking about safe sex, right?”

Bard made a noise that sounded like he was grossed out and embarrassed at the same time, making Brand laugh. 

“No, mom, we’re fine. Neither of us are interested, so you don’t need to buy me condoms or anything.”

“I think we may have lucked out here, Sil.” Brand said, still laughing.

Bard smiled at that. He had lucked out, at least, finding Thranduil. When they got home, he showered, decided to shave, and took a good twenty minutes deciding what to wear. When he was done, he called Thranduil to tell him he was on his way and needed the address. Driving to the nicest part of Mirkwood in his broken down lemon might not be his ideal way to spent a 45 minute drive, but that wasn’t going to stop him from making this date. He’d always wondered about dates, about what his ideal first date might be. It certainly had never crossed his mind to go out for frozen yogurt right after closing on a school night, but hey, he couldn’t complain. 

When he arrived, there was a gate separating him from the house. He couldn’t even see the house, it was surrounded by giant trees. Leaves were everywhere, as they’d just recently started falling, a beautiful gold and red decorating the streets. 

He texted Thranduil, and a few seconds later, the gate was sliding open by itself. He rolled in and parked, his boyfriend already walking down the porch steps to meet him. 

“Find the place ok?” Thranduil asked, taking hold of Bard’s hand and squeezing.

“Yeah, the uphill climb nearly killed my car, but that’s fine.” Bard joked, letting Thranduil lead him inside. He was shown the grand tour. Apparently, his father's parents lived in the west wing, while they had the east. The rooms were massive, old fashioned, and breathtaking. 

“I didn’t know houses like this still existed.” Bard said as they walked up the stairs. 

“Wait until you see my room.” Thranduil said, and in a few moments, he opened the door to the most modern looking bedroom imaginable. 

“The contrast is startling.” Bard said, looking around, rather impressed. He thought Thranduil might be one of those rich teens that owned absolutely everything, but it seemed he had quite good taste. Posters of his favorite bands were over his queen sized bed, a record player on top of a shelf of nothing but carefully categorized albums. 

“I love music.” Thranduil said. “It’s the one thing besides being out in nature that makes me feel free.”

“That’s beautiful.” Bard said, smiling. He looked over to the flat screen. “Now if only I could fit that in my room, I’d be watching my old Olympics tapes all day long.”

“Old Olympics tapes?” Thranduil said inquisitively, wanting to know more. He sat on the floor to go through a shelf with his DVDs.

“Yeah. I basically have VHS mixed tapes that I made when I was younger of my favorite Olympic moments. I suppose I could just make a YouTube playlist now, but I like it old fashioned sometimes.”

“Me too, as you can obviously see by my records.” Thranduil said. “You could be an Olympian, with those arms.”

Bard laughed nervously. “Yeah, maybe if I had the money to seriously train. Being an Olympian in this country is probably one of the hardest things to figure out without a scholarship or something.”

“True.” Thranduil said, wondering if he should try to encourage him or not. Maybe now wasn’t the time. “Well, I have options.”

“Do you have Mean Girls?” Bard teased, taking his shoes off and making himself comfortable on Thranduil’s bed. 

“Do I look like I don’t have Mean Girls?” Thranduil said with as much attitude as he could muster. “I was thinking something more along the lines of romantic, but if you want comedy…”

They took a few minutes to decide on something until they settled for an old period drama that Bard had never seen. Before they started, they’d gone down to the kitchen to make pop corn. They nearly burnt it after getting lost in conversation, and then they’d made a bit of a mess when Bard found the chocolate sauce.

“How have you never put chocolate on your popcorn?” Bard said, laughing as they clicked through the previews on the DVD.

“Because I’m not a pig.” Thranduil replied, eating the popcorn one piece at a time. “Don’t worry, you’re the cutest pig I know."

“Gee, thanks.” 

They finished the desert popcorn quickly and had ended up cuddling while watching the movie. Thranduil was a little taller than Bard, so he found that he liked to rest his head on Thran’s shoulder with his arms around the blonde’s middle. Thranduil had one of his hands in Bard’s hair, loving how soft and wavy it was. 

After the movie was over, Thranduil realized that Bard had fallen asleep. Of course he was tried, he’d just rowed his ass off. So they stayed like that, Thranduil dozing a little himself.

It was 9pm by the time they both stirred. 

“Hey, sorry.” Bard said.

“Don’t be, you were tired.”

“Still am.”

“Then rest. I don’t want you driving home half asleep.” Thranduil insisted, moving to lie down himself before Bard could protest. They both lied on their side looking at each other, holding hands and talking amongst themselves for a time. 

“Do you think this is just a rush?” Bard asked. “Like, this feeling we have will fade over time?”

“Of course it will.” Thranduil said, rubbing Bard’s finger between his. “But that doesn’t diminish what he have. When we spend more time together, it might become more commonplace or mundane, but I think there’s a beauty in that.”

“As long as we’re together.” Bard said, laughing at himself a little. “Is this what being high feels like?”

“No.” Thranduil said, very seriously. “It’s much better.” And then he leaned in, their foreheads brushing together first before Bard completed the action and made their lips touch. This kiss made him dizzy, and even though they were in bed together, close enough to touch just about anywhere, Bard still didn’t feel the "urges" everyone said a teenager was suppose to feel. Before, this might have confused him, but now, he was just happy to treasure the moment. 

Thranduil deepened the kiss a little, tracing his tongue over Bard’s lips, nipping gently at the side of Bard’s mouth. Bard shuddered. That feeling was a bit unexpected, but it wasn't bad...

“Are you ok?” Thranduil asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I…I liked that.” Bard said. “But can we slow down?”

“Yes. Sorry, I really like kissing.” Thranduil apologized. "Back when I was trying to fit in, I made sure I was good at it to fool everyone think I was sexually active."

“You are very good at it.” Bard said. “You’ll have to teach me.”

…

Monday was interesting, to say the least. Bard went to his locker after first period to find both Percy and Hilda waiting for him. 

“Hey guys.” He said. “What’s up?”

“We were just wondering if you could confirm a rumor for us. Have you heard?” Hilda said. When Bard shook his head, she elaborated. “We know you don’t listen to rumors, but this one’s about you.”

“What?” Bard said, suddenly self conscious. “What could it possibly be about?”

“Alfrid says he saw you kissing a boy from another school at the race." Percy said. "Everyone’s assuming that it’s a rower from the opposite team and they’re calling you some pretty terrible names.”

“What the—“ Bard was about to curse when he realized. “I did kiss a boy at the race.”

His friends looked shocked. Percy was immediately questioning him while Hilda looked intrigued.

“Relax, he’s not a rival. He’s from Mirkwood.” Bard started to explain. “We’ve been dating for a week now.”

“Oh.” Percy said. “Well, then, half the rumor’s true.”

“How did you meet him?” Hilda asked.

“How about I fill you guys in at lunch. Class is almost starting.”

So at lunch, Bard came out to his best friends. Percy was skeptical about the validity of asexuality, but Hilda made her point in telling him how proud she was of him for telling them. 

“Now where is that little weasel spreading rumors…” Bard said, looking around the cafeteria. He usually didn’t hold grudges and was someone who saw the good in people, but sometimes, Alfrid just couldn’t be helped. 

“I see him, he’s by the water fountain.” Percy said, pointing in the his direction.

“I’ll be back.” Bard said, leaving their table to confront Alfrid. Alfrid was skinny and pale, was barely able to pass PE, and sat alone at lunch more often then not. Bard didn’t want to bully him into apologizing, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy to get one out of him. 

“Hey.” Bard said.

Alfrid looked up and gave him a toothy smile. “Hey there, Captain. And what can I do for you this fine day?”

“You can start by fixing that rumor you’re spreading about me.” Bard said sternly.

“What rumor?" Alfrid said coyly. "Oh, oh, wait, the one about you sucking the rival teams cocks?”

Bard’s entire face turned red. “What the hell, Alfrid? Why would you say something like that?”

“I don’t know, because it’s true?” Alfrid looked very pleased with himself, drawing in some attention from the people around them. 

“You take that back, you don’t know anything about me! What did I ever do to you, anyway?” Bard was starting to loose his patience, which he usually had a lot of. This bastard was telling crude lies, and for what? Just to get a rise out of him?

“Make me.” Alfrid countered, taking his bag and beginning to walk away. 

Bard was so furious that he forgot himself and grabbed the back of the other boy’s jacket, yanking him backwards hard enough that Alfrid lost his balance and fell to the hard linoleum floor. Now there were definitely a lot of eyes on them. 

“Take it back, damn it!” Bard started yelling. Before he could do anything else, he felt someone touch his arm, trying to pull him back. He looked over his shoulder to see Percy. 

“Mr Masterson is coming.” He said, pointing to the now flung open double doors of the cafeteria.

“Shit.” Bard said under his breath. This wasn’t going to end well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard is suspended for a few days and Thranduil gets the motivation to make changes in his school.

Bard and Alfrid's parents had been brought into the office after school hours, where he had been held captive for the rest of the school day. After confessing to them that he'd initiated the physical contact, he was swiftly suspended for the next three days. Mr. Masterson had an annoyingly sly smile on his face when he'd sentenced Bard, probably smug about Bard actually committing a violent act on purpose. 

“Bard, we have to ground you.” Silvia said when they got home. "I know we were lenient with your other suspensions, but this one is different."

“I know." Bard said, head down. "I messed up. I’d never been attacked like that, emotionally, I mean, and I didn't know what to do.”

“We know." Brand said. "But you can’t go and physically hurt people. Even if they might deserve it.”

“I know.” Bard was beginning to get irritated. he was so tired, and angry still, and just wanted to be done with today.

“You know that all of these suspensions get in the way of applying for college, don’t you?” Silvia said.

“Yeah, I know! Just leave me alone!” Bard shouted. He got up abruptly and left the room, retreating to his and slamming the door shut.

Bard couldn’t remember the last time he’d yelled at his parents. He felt awful. 

He practically threw himself onto his bed, hiding his face in a pillow as his eyes began to tear up. After a few minutes of steeping in his own anger and sadness, he tried to get comfortable and sleep off some of this anxiety. While he shifted, he felt a familiar lump in his pocket sticking into his upper thigh uncomfortably. then he realized. 

His parents hadn’t taken his phone away. He wondered if they would. 

Sitting up and taking his phone out, Bard dialed Thranduil’s number and stared at it for a moment before deciding to press send. 

“Hello?” Thranduil answered, rather cheerfully. It almost brought a smile to Bard’s face.

“Hey.” Bard said, something caught in his throat, making it sound like he’d been crying. Which he had been. Thranduil noticed. 

“Baby, what’s wrong?” He asked, sounding worried now.

Bard sighed. “I got suspended. Again, but this time I was kind of asking for it.”

“What happened? Are you hurt?” Thranduil’s voice sounded increasingly more protective than Bard had ever heard it. To be fair, they had only been talking to each other for less than a week.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine, what happened?”

“Someone was spreading rumors about me, so I confronted him. He made me angry, and so I kind of threw him to the ground and got suspended for a few days. I never get this angry, but nothing like this has ever happened before.”

“What kind of rumor? What did that prick say to you?”

“He…” Bard hesitated, not wanting it to sound like he blamed Thranduil for anything. Alfrid had seen them kiss once and had gone haywire with it. He probably just wanted attention, and picking on more popular kids was a good way to do that.

“Bard? Do you want me to come over?”

“No, my parents probably would't let you, I’m grounded.”

“Do you live on the first floor?”

“…Yes. My house is only one floor.”

“Do you have a window?”

Bard hesitated to answer as he put the pieces together. "Are you suggesting breaking in to my room?”

“Yes? I’ve never done it before, but I've heard it’s all the rage with rebellious teenagers."

“I don’t want to be a rebellious teenager. If I screw up anymore, it’ll look bad to, like, every college I apply for. And I don’t want my parents to have any reason to mistrust me…even if I can’t get you pregnant.” Bard ended on a different note, trying not to be such a downer.

Thranduil chuckled. “I wish I could give you a hug. Or that you had a smart phone so that we could FaceTime. How long are you grounded for?”

“For as long as I’m suspended, so three days.”

Thranduil made a disappointed noise. “Well, call me whenever you need to, baby, ok?”

“Yeah. Thanks. I’ll call you later, maybe before bed, I think I’m going to shower.”

…

Bard didn’t call again that night, but had sent Thranduil a rather lengthy text explaining what had happened with Alfrid. Thranduil had never even met this weasel, but he hated him already. He could guess why Bard had taken it so personally. Thranduil already knew that Bard didn’t really like talking about specific sexual acts, he found it uncomfortable. So the notion that someone was spreading rumors that Bard himself was actually doing something sexual was not only disrespectful, but invasive and cruel. 

Thranduil went to LGBT club with a heavy heart that Tuesday. He and Bard had officially started talking just seven days ago, and now he was suspended because some ignorant twat had seen them kissing. 

Thranduil felt that he should trust his friends as Bard had trusted his own. It would be a start. 

“Everyone," he began after everyone had been seated around their usual spot in the garden. "Before we start this meeting, I’d like to...come out again, basically, because some things have changed. I realized sometime ago that I am asexual, and now I have a boyfriend who is also asexual. He’s just gone through some terrible bullying and I…I don’t think we can stay quiet forever.”

The energy changed in the circle, from content to curious, even excited.

"Now, for our first matter of business. I think we should petition the school to have gender neutral bathrooms. Would anyone like to second the motion?"

…

After the three days of suspension--which Bard had spent doing all his schoolwork, reading, doing chores, working, and talking to Thranduil before bed--Bard was back in school on Friday. It was an uneventful day, though his friends had greeted him with an appreciated compassion. After classes were over, it was finally time to go back to rowing practice and get into his physical routine again; it always helped keep his mind clear.

After practice and showering in the lockers — and noticing a handful of his team members avoiding him — he got dressed and made his way to the parking lot, feeling dejected even after a good training. 

Then he saw Thranduil, leaning against his broken down lemon. The sight was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

He ran to envelope the blonde in his arms. 

“I missed you.” Bard said into the crook of Thranduil’s neck. “God, I missed this.”

“Me too.” Thranduil said, holding him close. They stayed like that for a few minutes before separating. 

“Want to go out? You’re a free man again.” Thranduil said. 

“I don’t know where we’d go. Want to come back to my place? I’m not really done clinging to you yet.”

Thranduil chuckled, bringing Bard’s hands to his mouth and kissing them. “Anything you want.”

So after eating dinner, courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Bowman, the teenagers squeezed themselves into Bard’s twin bed, Bard’s back pressed up against Thranduil’s chest. They barely fit, but relished the closeness. Thranduil spoke softly to Bard, saying how his club was going to try and make some serious progress in Mirkwood high's awareness of queer life. He talked about how they could go somewhere over winter break, maybe up into the Redwoods where his father had a vacation home. 

Eventually, Thranduil ended up kissing the side of Bard’s face and neck, caressing him until he was so relaxed that he fell asleep. 

When Bard woke and saw that it well past the middle of the night, he was surprised to feel Thranduil’s even breathing on the back of his neck. Bard rolled over, careful not to disturb, though his boyfriend woke anyway.

“You’re still here?” Bard whispered. 

Thranduil yawned. “You fell asleep, and your parents said I could stay. They hated to see you so sad this week, so they didn't want you to wake up to an empty bed.”

“I’ll have to thank them later.” Bard said, blinking back sleep. “You’re still in your clothes.”

“So are you.” Thranduil pointed out.

They both partially stripped down into just their t-shirts and underwear before getting comfortable again. Thranduil lied on his back and Bard was half on top of him. Bard’s hand were sliding up and down Thranduil’s sides, making the blonde boy practically purr. 

“Is it too early to tell you I love you?” Bard whispered. 

“Maybe.”

Bard sat up on his elbows to look at Thranduil. His face was illuminated by the faint moonlight coming through the window. He looked more beautiful then Bard had ever seen him. Instead of saying anything else, Bard leaned down for a soft kiss, letting it convey everything he felt. After settling back into Thranduil’s arms, Bard had the peaceful sleep he’d had all week.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard's friends want to meet Thranduil. Later, the couple decides whether or not they can continue their relationship long distance after Thranduil goes off to college.

Percy and Hilda were beginning to get on Bard’s case. They wanted to meet Thranduil before winter break let out in a week, but it had been difficult to set a date. The blonde had been too busy to make any more of Bard’s races, in no small part because of the increased work load he’d put on himself to do more with the LGBT club. Eventually, Bard remembered that he had still never been able to see Thranduil at one of his fencing matches, and Thranduil invited them all to his last fencing match of the season. 

The match was being held in Mirkwood Private High's impressive gymnasium, a sight that both amazed and mildly annoyed Percy and Hilda. 

"I wish out bleachers were this comfortable." Percy said.

"And that our basketball hoops were that nice." Hilda said.

Bard hadn’t known what to expect, except maybe to see Oropher there, which they did. Before the matches had started, Bard and Oropher had started talking. 

“Thranduil has been fencing since he was old enough to hold the sword.” Oropher said. “Do you see him out there? He’s on the bench, with his hair up.”

“Oh yeah, I see him.” Bard said, and he didn’t take his eyes away for the rest of the night. If Bard had thought Thranduil was graceful before, he didn’t know what to call this. The sport required precision, elegance, strength, instincts…it was captivating.

There was no cheering, no loud applause, it was all too dignified and classy for that. Percy was nearly dying of boredom and Hilda was beginning to get tired of sitting by the end. When it was over and people were beginning to exit, Bard was out of his seat so fast that he nearly tripped over his own feet. When he reached Thranduil on the bench, the blonde looked up at him with heavy breaths. 

“How’d I do?” Thranduil asked.

“Incredible!” Bard said, trying to keep his voice down. It echoed in the stadium, and he didn’t want to seem too eager to the other more subdued lookers on. 

“And how did your friends like it?” Thranduil said as he saw Percy nodding off in his seat.

“Well enough. Probably.” Bard shrugged. “At least they get to meet you now, they’ve been bugging me about it for a hundred years now.”

“You sure you don’t mean a few weeks?” Thranduil laughed. 

After Thranduil was ready, he took Bard and his friends to one of his favorite pizza places in Mirkwood. Percy and Hilda had plenty of questions for him, which he always had answers for. It was nice for Thranduil to to see that Bard had such devoted friends with him in a place that seemed to be hard to stay out of trouble in. 

“Bard says he used to see you walking around his store months before you ever spoke." Hilda said. "He told us that he had a crush on you just from that.”

“He never told me that.” Thranduil said, delighted, nudging Bard with an elbow and eyeing him sweetly. “I knew there was a reason I liked you. Besides the way you put up your hair when you’re working.”

“He puts up his hair? He never does that.” Percy said, mouth half full of pizza.

“Into a pony tail. Sometimes a little bun.” Thranduil explained. "I have a soft spot for men with long hair."

"Apparently, so does Bard." Hilda snickered. 

“I don’t like hair in my eyes while I’m working.” Bard said, pouting a little as Thranduil reached out to pull a lock of hair behind his ear.

“You two are almost too much.” Hilda said. “I didn’t think Bard was capable of sappy romance, but here we are.”

“We’re not sappy.” Bard said.

“So says the boy holding my hand under the table.” Thranduil said, squeezing said hand.

“Ugh, I think I know what you mean by gross PDA now, Bard.” Percy said. “I totally get it now.”

…

Both Bard and Thranduil’s winter breaks were a week away, meaning midterms were upon them. With the addition of studying for midterms, both of their schedules had become nearly too hectic to meet, so their regular Friday date nights had become study dates. Although, if they were being honest, it was hard to study when they were only an arm’s length away. They often went on tangents talking about anything that came to mind; their favorite movies, books, childhood memories, anything. 

"Did you ever wonder what it would be like to have siblings?" Bard asked one night. They were in his house, with their books spread out on his kitchen table and sitting across from one another. "I was a little lonely by myself sometimes. I remember when I taught myself to play solitary at this table." He reached for a deck of cards that Thranduil had known to be a permanent fixture at the kitchen table. 

"These are the very same cards I used." Bard said.

"I do remember asking my parents if I could have a younger brother, once." Thranduil said. "But I was very young. And I was very lonely."

"In that big mansion all by yourself?" Bard said.

"Yeah. That's why I've always imagined having a big family one day. No less than three kids."

"Really?" Bard said. "I've always thought the same thing."

"Great minds think alike." Thranduil smiled and winked. "Guess we'll have to figure out who to get pregnant later."

Bard was quiet for a beat. "Artificially? I always thought I'd adopt."

"Maybe we'll do both." Thranduil shrugged. 

"You'll have to propose to me first." Bard said, very nonchalantly, and a little sarcastically. He found Thranduil's bare feet under the table and batted them with one of his own. "And I won't say yes without a big ass diamond ring." 

"Ok, now you're being ridiculous. You of all people would hate a diamond ring, you'd appreciate something more original, practical even."

"So you've thought about this?" Bard continued to tease. 

"Haven't you?" Thranduil said, eyeing him knowingly, trapping his still wandering foot with both of his.

"You got me." Bard admitted. For some time, they resumed their quiet studying. When it was almost sundown, Thranduil had had enough and moved to the couch to recline. Bard followed him once he'd finished what he was reading.

“Do you have any ideas of where you want to apply next year?” Thranduil said, effectively starting one of Bard’s favorite conversations.

“I went to Dale University’s campus on a school field trip a few years back and fell in love immediately, so it’s definitely my first choice.” Bard said. "Rohan State is a back up, and my parents want me to at least apply for Gondor University to see if I get in, but I don’t know. I’m not sure I’d want to be that far away from home. But, um, what about you? You must be applying pretty soon.”

“I’ve applied to two colleges already." Thranduil replied. "Imladris University and Lorien University. I’m either going to major in business or law, I haven’t decided. I think business will be more useful, but law would be more lucrative.”

“Do you really need a lucrative job?” Bard asked. His family seemed to have money to fund Thranduil’s entire life.

“I was wondering the same thing. I don’t need to live like my father does, and I’ll be inheriting some of his money later in life anyway, so why not do something I’m interested in, right?” Thranduil said. 

They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Bard asked. 

“How far are they from here?” 

“The universities?" Thranduil said. "They’re both half way across the country, maybe a three to four hour plane trip.”

“That’s a long way.” Bard said, saddened by the realization. “And you’ll definitely get into one university, if not both.”

“Bard.” Thranduil started without knowing what he wanted to say. 

“What’ll we do after you leave next summer?” Bard asked, sounding more stressed than he'd intended to let out. 

“Our best.” Thranduil said, taking Bard's hand. “I don’t want to break up just because of distance. You mean too much to me.”

“Really?” Bard said.

“Yes, really. I love you, Bard.” Thranduil said firmly, squeezing Bard's hand tightly. "I didn’t want to say it before because I thought it was too early but…every time I see you I want to say it, I want you to know. I was wondering whether or not there needed to be a special time to say it.” 

“Thran, you idiot.” Bard said under his breath. For some reason, he was fighting tears. He didn’t realize he’d been waiting for Thranduil to tell him how he felt, even though he was sure he knew already. 

“Go ahead, call me names." Thranduil said, smirking. "You’re the love of my life, so I guess you’re the only one allowed to.”

“Thran, stop it.” Bard said, abruptly taking Thranduil’s face in his hands and kissed him hard, eliciting a surprised sound from the blonde before he quickly leaned into it.

“I love you, too.” Bard said. "Tell me whenever you want. You can tell me anything, at anytime. You know that, right?"

"I do now." Thranduil said. "Can I say that I'd like to kiss some more?"

"Not when my parents can just walk in on us." Bard said.

"It's ok, we won't!" Brand shouted from somewhere down the hall.

Bard leant forward to look down the hall. "You better not be listening to us!" He shouted back. 

"We haven't heard a thing, sweetheart!" Silvia said. "Go back to whatever you two love birds were talking about!"

"Do we need to take a walk?" Thranduil suggested.

"Yeah, let's go down to the park." Bard agreed, getting up. "I know where we can find a bench where only birds might bother us."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard and Thranduil go camping over winter break. After break is over, Bard has a hard time going back to school.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been camping in the winter.” Bard said as they were driving up a long, windy road through the redwoods.

The Oropherions hadn’t gone to their vacation home in a few years. When Thranduil asked if they could go over winter break and bring Bard, it was almost too easy for his father to say yes. It was obvious to Oropher how good the two teenagers were for each other, and he was grateful that Thranduil was smiling again. 

“It’s cold, but I love it at this time of year. It doesn’t snow here, but I can’t get enough of the winter air.” Thranduil said, excitedly. 

“It makes sense. Just last week I learned how much you love rainy days.” Bard said. “Winter might just be your season.”

“Like summer is yours.” Thranduil said.

The vacation home was probably the most luxurious cabin Bard had ever seen. Going in, it was almost like looking into a time capsule with all the old picture frames. He saw pictures of a young Thranduil with his mother and wondered if her absence was the reason they hadn’t come here in so long.

“Oh, this place reminds me of my childhood.” Thranduil said, breathing in deeply. “It even smells the same.”

“Bard,” Oropher said. “There are two bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. You can pick one and put your stuff there.”

“Ok.” Bard said, looking at Thranduil. “Want to show me the way?”

“Absolutely.”

When they had reached the bedrooms, Bard picked the first one he saw and set his backpack on the rather large bed. 

“You know there’s no way I’m letting you sleep alone, right?” Thranduil said, coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.

“I didn’t think so.” Bard said. “Will your father care?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t see why it would bother him.” Thranduil said, pulling away so that Bard to turn around and face him. "Besides, I bet you get cold easily. That’s what happens with summer people.”

Later, they hiked to a peak where they had a great view of the rest of the forest, you couldn't even see where it ended. Bard was excited every time they came across wildlife, taking out his camera and taking blurry pictures of dear romping by in the distance.

“If we’re very quiet, we might be able to get closer to them.” Oropher said. “Thranduil used to be very good at it when he was younger.”

“I bet I’ve still got it.” Thranduil said, which prompted the hike to turn into a contest of who could get the closest to a deer without scaring it off. After fruitless efforts made by all, they determined that they would try again another day. 

That night, dinner was served over a lavish fire pit, and Thranduil was telling Bard about the constellations. Oropher chimed in once or twice, and Bard could tell that they used to bond over this.

“I didn’t know you liked stars so much.” Bard said. “You know so much about them.”

“Call it a family fascination.” Thranduil replied. 

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen them so bright before.” Bard said, truly amazed.

“Light pollution can really dim the stars. But out here, there’s nothing to diminish them.”

They stayed star gazing until the cold was too much too handle, even with the roaring fire. Thranduil had been right, Bard did get cold easily, so he was more than happy to have Thranduil as the big spoon that night. 

“Do you believe in astrology?” Thranduil asked, out of the blue. They’d been cuddling quietly under the covers for a while, but not long enough for either to have fallen to sleep.

“I’ve never had a reason to.” Bard said. “But something tells me that you do.”

“My grandmother interprets my signs for me. She’s very good, she’s always been right. I’ve just been thinking about her last reading a few days ago.”

“What about it?” Bard asked softly, finding Thranduil’s hand that had found purchase on his stomach and bringing it up to cradle to his chest. 

“She said that something she’d found years ago in my charts had finally happened recently, but she’d never been able to fully interpret it until now. She said that I’d met someone that I’d met before, in another life. That someone I knew very well had returned to me and that it had brought me peace.”

Bard listened and then waited for a moment to respond. He kissed Thranduil's fingertips and thoughts ran through his head of what to say. “I don’t know if I believe in that kind of thing, but it’s definitely a nice thought.”

“It is.” Thranduil said, kissing the side of Bard’s face. “Goodnight.”

…

Winter break was over very quickly, and both Bard and Thranduil were determined to finish their year strong. 

Thranduil had brought the LGBT club to a student council meeting and they’d given a very thorough lecture on how they could improve inclusivity on campus. The council was more receptive than Thranduil had expected, and with their addition to their cause, the changes they wanted to make had a far greater chance of actually going through. 

Bard, on the other hand, was going through something entirely different. His reputation, thanks to Alfrid’s dirty rumors, was not the best. People in Laketown could sometimes be very small minded, and there was little exception when it came to his classmates. With pretty much the entire student body thinking he was a promiscuous homosexual heathen, he was picked on by some jocks in the hallway, sometimes getting yelled at by them or thrown against the lockers. He was ignored by most everyone in the boy's locker room, even avoided by the people handing out flyers to the next school dance.

Percy and Hilda were both furious that he was getting treated like this, and they stood up for him when they could, but Bard knew the it could be much worse, so he endured it. He also didn’t want to cause another scene, as he desperately wanted to finish the school year without another referral. 

Bard came home one day looking thoroughly disheartened. He could usually bounce back from days he was picked on; he believed very much that it didn’t matter what others thought about him, but some days were just harder to manage than others. His parents were beginning to get worried, having already spoken to the principal about the other student’s behavior. It hadn't done much to improve anything, but they had to try.

“Are you thinking of going to the dance?” Brand asked at dinner. Both Bard’s parents knew that he loved the school dances. He and Hilda would often just go as friends, they both had some of their favorite pictures from past dances hung up on their respective refrigerators. 

“I don’t know. Probably not.” Bard replied, eyes glued to his plate.

“Does Thranduil’s school have dances?” Silvia asked. “Maybe with a more friendly campus, it might be more fun.”

Bard perked up a little at the thought. “I don’t know. I’ll ask him.”

He asked him that night, lying on his bed with his phone on speaker. 

“We have a dance coming up in two weeks.” Thranduil said. “I’ve never been to one.”

“It’s your senior year and you’ve never gone to a dance?” 

“No, I didn’t think I’d like it. I barely liked going to parties, how would a school dance be any different?”

“For one thing, you wouldn’t be drunk, so you’d actually be able to enjoy the music and your friends without feeling like you’re going to throw up. I always go with a lot of friends and we all dance together in a circle.” Bard said, sighing. “I used to feel safe there.”

Thranduil was quiet for a moment on the other line before he cleared his throat. “Fine, yes, I want you to come with me. I’ll buy our tickets tomorrow. I’ll tell my friends too, maybe we’ll have enough people for a dance circle.”

So two weeks later, Bard was getting ready for their night out. He was looking in the mirror, deciding whether or not to bring his suit jacket or leather jacket. Once they were inside, he’d loose the jacket anyhow, so he made him his mind by going with the leather. When Thranduil arrived, he was pleasantly surprised by the outfit.

“A leather jacket and a black tie, you look amazing.” Thranduil said, pushing down his sunglasses for a better look. 

“Look who’s talking. Someone knows how to clean up.” Bard said, loving the all green suit and pink flower crown. 

“Do you like it? It’s one of my favorites.”

As Bard had anticipated, his parents were ready with the camera, taking pictures for posterity. When they finally escaped the pseudo paparazzi, they left for Mirkwood.

“Do you think your friends will like me?” Bard asked, not so much nervous as curious.

“They’ll like you. I don’t shut up about you in club sometimes. I try not to brag that I have the sweetest boyfriend on earth.”

The dance went far better than Bard could’ve hoped for, and Thranduil was pleasantly surprised that he’d enjoyed it so much. Thranduil’s friends were very happy to meet Bard, a lot of them hit it off with him right away, making for easy conversation. They had ended up making a dance circle, making up moves on the fly and laughing as each move got more and more ridiculous. 

Thranduil and Bard eventually snuck off into the school’s garden. It was cold outside, and there wasn’t a lot of light, so it was difficult to stay on the path and not knock into things as Thranduil pulled Bard along to his favorite spot. They landed by a fountain, mostly plainly decorated, though it lit up at the bottom and shone brilliant color through the water. Bard looked up to see Thranduil’s smiling face, illuminated by the changing light. 

“Thank you for convincing me to come here.” Thranduil said. “It wouldn’t have been this much fun without you.”

“Thank you for being convinced.” Bard smiled wide. “I needed this.”

“Just a few more months until summer. Than maybe everything at your school will go back to normal.”

“I hope so.” Bard said softly.

“If anything, I’m sure after I leave, my friends would be glad to hang out. Sometimes it’s nice to be with people who understand.”

“That would be nice.” 

They sat together in companionable silence for a few minutes, not wanting to leave this peace, even with the cold freezing their fingertips and noses. 

“Just think of the summer.” Thranduil said. “It’ll be your favorite time of year, you’ll take me fishing in the Lake, we’ll have sleepovers every night.”

“Every night?” Bard said. “It might be a little hot for that. I might accidentally kick you away in my sleep.”

“You can’t scare me away that easily.” Thranduil laughed. “I’m with you for good.”

“Good, because so am I.” Bard said, leaning in half way, letting Thranduil complete the action. They didn’t know how long they were out there kissing, not until one of Thranduil’s friends came out there looking for them, making sure they "hadn’t tripped and died,” which made both teenagers laugh. They joined the dance again and felt like kings.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finals, summer fun begins. Bard and Thranduil try to do everything they can with each other before Thranduil leaves for college...just about everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where we start the sexual content, folx. It's pretty damn fluffy

With finals rearing it’s ugly head, both Thranduil and Bard were too busy to meet most weeks, even too busy to study together. Thranduil was not only studying, but working overtime with his last few weeks of student council reign. They’d made a lot go progress Mirkwood Private High by addressing transgender student rights and had successfully put on a school wide Day of Remembrance. They’d even started an outreach program to other schools, as Thranduil wanted to start an alliance with Laketown High--if only to help Bard's situation, if he was being honest. Bard had already signed up as the first liaison and started creating the club with Percy and Hilda as allies.

“How do you think you did?” Thranduil asked Bard. They were finally on a date the day after their last final, wandering around the mall looking for dessert. 

“Better then I thought I would, so I feel good.” Bard said. “And you?”

“I should be fine. My Physics test was the hardest, but I think I aced English.”

“That’s good.” Bard said, a little absent minded as they passed a sporting goods store.

“Do you need anything in there?” Thranduil asked when Bard stopped walking.

“No, but you might.” Bard said, smiling. “I don’t think I have an extra fishing rod.”

“Oh god.” Thranduil pretended to whine as he was dragged into the store. A few days later, they were on the lake, their little row boat swaying as Thranduil fidgeted with his life vest. Brand and Silvia were not too far away in another boat.

“Isn’t it peaceful?” Bard asked his boyfriend, still trying not to laugh at the bright orange life jacket that his parents insisted Thranduil wear after admitting that he wasn't a very good swimmer.

“It is.” Thranduil said, adjusting his sun glasses. “I’m sure it’s so peaceful and early in the morning that the fish are still asleep. Like I should be.”

“We can take a nap after.” Bard said. “This is the best time, before it gets too hot, with the sunlight glinting off the ripples in the water. Have I ever told you about the time I swam across the lake?

“By yourself? No boats or life jackets?” Thranduil asked.

“Yep. Took me about an hour. I had to take a few breaks.”

“And you say it would be hard to become an Olympian.” Thranduil scoffed. “You already are one, practically."

Before either could say anything else, something on Thranduil’s line tugged, making him jump and tip the boat a little.

“You’ve got something! Reel it in!” Bard said, getting the attention of his parents from a few feet away. 

“How the heck do I—“ Thranduil struggled to get his grip back and started reeling it in. “It’s fighting me!”

“Must be big, then.” Bard said.

In seconds, the fish was out of the water and riggling in the air. Thranduil nearly dropped his rod, handing it to Bard, as he didn’t trust himself not to throw it back in.

“I got the whole thing on camera!” Silvia said, making Bard laugh.

“My graceful love, squeamish with fish. Who’d have thought?” Bard teased.

Needless to say, the video went online and everyone loved it.

...

“You promised.”

“I know, I just have to ask dad.”

“Ask me what?” Brand said as he heard Bard and Thranduil come up the drive. He was washing his car and the boys had just parked on the street. Summer was half way over and they were spending a lot of time together, more often in Mirkwood than Laketown as Bard was helping Thranduil pack for college. 

“Thranduil wants to see me with a bow and arrow. Do you think we can set up the target today?” Bard answered.

“Yeah, shouldn’t be a problem.” Brand said, smiling. “I’ve been trying to get him to shoot again for a while now.”

“I didn’t have time before.” Bard said. “Now I do.”

“And your boyfriend wants to see it.” His father teased. “That’s an important factor in the equation.” At that, Bard rolled his eyes and Thranduil looked pleased.

About an hour later, they’d found the old equipment in the garage and had set it up in the back yard. It wasn’t the biggest distance Bard had ever shot, but he was rusty anyhow and probably needed to start small. Thranduil was taking a lot of pictures with his phone once Bard took up the bow and arrow. He’d been taking pictures of Bard all summer for his “private archives” he called them. 

“Alright, here goes nothing.” Bard said, getting in position. He took a few breaths before raising his arms and focusing. With another breath, he let go, the arrow flying and just barely hitting the edge of the target.

“Rusty.” Bard said to himself, loosening up his shoulders. 

“‘Hot’ is more like it.”

“I thought you weren’t capable of sexual attraction.” Bard said jokingly. 

“I think you might be my exception.” Thranduil said slyly, making Bard’s face very red. 

Bard tried a few more times before he hit the target relatively in the center. They both cheered, and Thranduil captured the bright image of Bard’s smiling face more than once. After they put the equipment away, it was almost dark. They’d already decided to stay over at Thranduil’s house that night, so they were off shortly after. The rest of the night included looking through Thranduil’s things with a movie in the background. When they got tired of that, it was nearly midnight, so they dressed for bed and lied together for a few minutes.

“Can I…” Thranduil started, hesitating to finish his thought. 

“Yes?” Bard said, encouraging him to continue. 

“I need to ask you something really, really personal.” Thranduil looked up at Bard with vulnerable eyes as they were lying on their sides facing each other. "Would you be comfortable talking about sex right now?”

“If you really need to say it, then yeah, of course.” Bard said without hesitation. 

“Ok. I, um, I’ve been thinking.” Thranduil paused, trying to find the words. "I masturbate a lot, I don’t know if you do. Most of the time I do it when I’m alone and stressed and need to relax. Or when it’s just…fucking there without my permission.”

“I’ve been there.” Bard said with a small smile.

“Recently, at night when I can’t sleep, I do it and think of you. Or…I think about us. And I’ve been wondering what it would feel like to have you touch me.” Thranduil said all of this very carefully, and he never looked away from Bard. "Am I crossing a line?”

“No, no, not at all.” Bard replied, placing a hand over one of Thranduil’s. "You’re going to be leaving soon, and we’re intimate, but have never…never done anything like that. I think it’s a natural thing to think about.”

“It’s just that I’ve never been interested in that kind of thing, until now.” Thranduil sounded a little distraught, prompting Bard to caress the side of his face. They stayed like that for a quiet moment before Thranduil found his words again.

"I think it’s because I want to share something with you that I’ve never shared with anyone else. I want to see if we can be together like that, even if we don’t end up liking it, I really want to try.” Thranduil explained. “Is it too much to ask? Tell me if it is and I’ll stop thinking about it.”

“No, I don’t think it is.” Bard reassured him. “I’ve never been interested before either, but I would do anything for you. I want to make you happy. I want to make you feel…everything you want to feel. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

They were kissing now, lightly, barely even touching. Both of them felt that if they were separated at this very moment, they might die. Bard’s breathing became quicker as his heart raced, and Thranduil took Bard’s face in his hands and kissed him all over. The blonde then reached down to lift the hem of Bard’s shirt, his fingers making their way to stroke the small of the brunette’s back. That hand eventually slid up his spine and pulled him closer so that they were lying chest to chest.

“What do you want to…” Bard trailed off.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.” Thranduil said, his breath thin, his face red. “Maybe your hand…”

“Guide me?” Bard asked, and Thranduil nodded.

He took Bard's hand and slowly brought it down between his legs. His sweats were still on, but that was fine for now. Bard understood and went from there for a few minutes, gently fondling what he could feel. Thranduil’s hands were clutching his forearms now, his face half buried in his pillow, his long hair spilling in just about every direction. It was a sight to behold. Bard could feel that Thranduil was getting hard.

Thranduil slid a hand down Bard’s arm. “Are you ok with this?”

“Yeah. Do you want more?”

Thranduil hummed affirmatively, reaching for Bard’s working hand. He guided it up to the hem of his sweats before pushing past it. Bard felt the warmth and tried to relax. They were going very slowly, and he couldn’t deny how awake his body was. It was partially because he was touching Thranduil, but mostly from the knowledge that Thranduil wanted his touch. That pure, emotional desire; the look of love in his eyes when he’d asked, there was no way he could deny him. And honestly, Bard liked this; he liked being able to do this for the person he loved. 

And that's what was getting him hard right now.

As Bard got the hang of sliding his hand up and down Thranduil’s naked cock, which he’d pulled out of Thranduil's sweats to get a better angle, Thranduil had noticed his boyfriend’s own condition. Even in the throws of his own passion, Thranduil needed to know.

“Do you want me to touch you?”

“I don’t know.” Bard said. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

“Maybe after I…ahhh” Thranduil sighed. His noises weren’t like Bard thought they might be like. They were better. It was mostly breath, they would get quicker, and he would make these irresistible little moans. 

“I’m close.” Thranduil said between breaths.

“Should I go faster?” Bard asked.

“No, no, stay like this. Stay like this and just hold me.”

So Bard wrapped his free arm under the blonde, clutching at his back, while his other hand didn’t change the pace. Thranduil’s face was buried in the crook of his Bard's, he could feel the blonde's breath on his collar bone. This might be an awkward position, but they only held it for a few more second before Thranduil came. His moan turned into more of a gasp, and his clutch tightened briefly before he was completely relaxed. His seed had spilled over Bard’s hand and on the bed, so Bard reached for the tissue box on the night stand and cleaned up the best he could. 

As soon as their eyes met again, Thranduil leaned in and captured Bard’s lips in a searing kiss. It was harder than usual, but not any less satisfying. When they parted, Thranduil was still breathing heavily, and smiling through it. 

“You are incredible. I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“Neither have I.” Bard admitted.

“Do you know if you want me to do anything? Maybe…do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Can you lie on your back?” Thranduil suggested, and so Bard rolled onto his back. “If your not comfortable with me touching you directly yet, maybe this will help.” Thranduil said as he straddled Bard’s hips, their pelvis’ perfectly aligned, the pressure making Bard moan. Thranduil leaned down on his elbows and kissed Bard’s lips first, then descended slowly down his neck, making Bard shiver and squirm a little. Bard let his hands slide up Thranduil’s legs and rest on his narrow hips as Thranduil began to very carefully move.

As Thranduil circled his hips, he licked his way up Bard’s neck to his jaw before lightly biting the skin there. He'd discovered that Bard liked to be bitten weeks ago, and had just recently been implementing it into their make out sessions when they sometimes got into a more exploring mood. Bard gasped, the stimulation was perfect. 

Bard tried not to think while they did this, just feel, but it was impossible for him not to wonder a little. He wouldn’t be able to do this with anyone else, it wouldn’t make sense. Thranduil meant so much to him, they trusted each other so entirely, loved each other so much, that this felt right.

Their pace never quickened, and Thranduil didn’t change a thing, he just rocked his hips slowly and grazed his teeth lightly. It was enough to bring Bard to his peak within a few short minutes. When it happened, Thranduil buried his face In Bard’s hair and held him close.

“Are you ok?” Thranduil asked softly into Bard’s ear after the his body had stopped shaking.

“Yeah.” Bard breathed. “I think…I think I might be better then ok.”

“I love you.” Thranduil said, kissing the side of his boyfriend’s face before nibbling at the side of his ear, making Bard almost shout in laughter. They started tickling each other, almost chasing each other around the bed before Bard got up to clean himself off. 

“So. Does this make us sexually active teenagers?” Bard said, half joking.

“We can be whatever we want.” Thranduil said. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, beckoning Bard to step closer. When he did, Thranduil pulled Bard in between his legs and hugged him, resting his forehead against Bard’s strong chest. “We can do whatever we want whenever we want, even if that means not doing anything at all.”

“Well, not whenever we want. Not with you leaving.” Bard said, unable to hide the sadness in his voice.

“Hey.” Thranduil stood, taking Bard’s face in his hands, pushing away stray hairs and kissing his forehead. “Baby, everything will be ok as long as we’re together. And we’ll be together even when we’re apart.”

“That was almost too cheesy, even for you.” Bard said, looking up at Thranduil. “You’re the first person I’ve ever been in a regular relationship with, now we have to do long distance. It just makes me a little nervous, is all.”

“I’m going to come back and visit. And I’ll probably call you every night, and text whenever I can. You’ll be tired of me before the first week is out.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thranduil being away may be hard to get through at first, but it's all worth it when they reunite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More NSFW content in this chapter, it pretty much takes up the entire second half.

Bard couldn’t believe an entire year had passed since he'd met Thranduil. So much had changed, and all for the better, in his opinion, even if it hadn't started out so gracefully. 

The most difficult part about Thranduil being in Lorian was not being with him. The summer he left, they'd spent as much time together as possible, but even that hadn't helped to ease the transition. Not for Bard, anyway. Bard was very well aware that Thranduil would be busy meeting people and getting used to his dorm and his classes; there would be no time for him to even think about Bard back at home. 

He was proven wrong many a time on that note, as Thranduil had made the habit of texting Bard whenever; just before class, in class, after class, during meals, sending him pictures of his food and the wildlife that was trying to run off with it. If Bard had been worried that Thranduil might forget him when he first went to college, his worries were far gone now. 

Bard had never used Skype, but he’d been determined to get the hang of it so that he could talk to Thranduil face to face. He supposed it was the best alternative to actually being together in the same room. The first night they’d tried, all the technical difficulties that Bard had yet to master ended them up in a regular phone call, but after that, they’d worked it out.

“I wish you could be here to see it.” Bard said. “Our clubs are really beginning to gain traction. With the help of Mirkwood’s LGBT club, we’ve been able to talk to the new principal and set up dates for campus wide action.”

“You have a new principal?” Thranduil asked. He was sitting outside surrounded by brilliant looking trees and the light made him look absolutely gorgeous. Bard didn't even want to look at his own picture in the bottom right hand corner, his dimly lit room made for an annoying contrast.

“Interim, for now, since Masterson was fired recently. His performance reviews were at an all time low. I think there were so many complaints that the district couldn’t ignore it anymore.”

“Well that’s a relief. I’m guessing you haven’t been sent to detention this semester then?”

“Nope. It feels like a giant weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Bard sighed. "I still miss you though. I don’t know what to do with myself on Fridays when you're not free to talk.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize how annoying having a 6pm class would be. Never again, if I can help it." They were quiet for a moment before Thranduil spoke again. "You know, I used to not care about PDA. But now when I see couples doing something as mundane as holding hands I want to yell at them to get a room."

"Jealous?" Bard teased. He honestly felt something of the same thing, although it mostly still just grossed him out.

"I'm not even going to lie!" Thranduil laughed. "How dare they not know that I'm in serious emotional turmoil and flaunt their relationship in my face!"

"Quiet, your highness, or someone will hear you believing that you're the center of the universe."

Thranduil pretended to look shocked. "Am I not?"

"No you're not." Bard said, trying not to smile. "But will the light of my life suffice?"

"Well, when you put it that way..." Thranduil replied, pouting. "That does sound preferable."

…

On the day school let out early for Spring Break, Percy and Hilda had asked Bard if he wanted to go out to lunch with them. They all met at one of their favorite places in Laketown, with Bard as the last to arrive. When he walked in and saw Hilda and Percy sitting and snickering to themselves, he almost jumped when someone tapped on the shoulder from behind. 

Bard whirled around to see his bombshell of a boyfriend standing behind him, radiant as ever, especially with that damn smile on his face. Percy and Hilda eventually had to separate them, as they were in a public place and had rather dramatically started clinging to each other, but that didn’t stop them from sitting very closely together and sharing a milkshake. 

After lunch, Bard and Thranduil went to the Lake, wanting some privacy and some time outside, since it was a beautiful midday. 

“So when did you and my friends decide to surprise me?” Bard asked. They’d found a little secluded clearing and were sitting on rocks just touching the mouth of the Lake. 

“Just a few days ago. I messaged Hilda once I’d bought my plane ticket. I realized that out breaks overlapped slightly and I didn’t even ask my dad if it was ok. He was a little taken aback by my spontaneity, but was fine with it anyway.”

“I’m fine with it too.” Bard said, a small smile on his lips. Thranduil leaned in to kiss him then, as he had been doing periodically for the past few minutes. 

“It’s hotter than I expected it to be.” Thranduil said after he pulled away.

“I bet the water’s freezing though.” Bard said, leaning down to check the temperature. “Eh, it’s pretty cold, not too bad.”

He’d change his mind about that in an hour’s time after falling in — which was the result of a distracted misstep off the very rocks they were sitting on. 

“If you had been looking where you were going…” Thranduil joked. They’d driven to Bard’s, not without avoiding Bard’s parents and their boisterous reactions to both Thranduil being home and Bard having fallen into the Lake.

“I was practically born and bred in those waters.” Bard spoke up from the bathroom. “I’ve never just fallen in!”

“First time for everything, baby.” Thranduil said as Bard came out and back into his small room. Bard closed the door and was met with Thranduil’s wondering, appreciative gaze. Bard blushed immediately, although he secretly like the attention. He had left his wet shirt in the bathroom and Thranduil had obviously noticed. 

“Have I told you that I’m probably demi?” Thranduil said. “Or something along those lines. Gray-sexual? God, I have to look it up again.”

“We've talked about it before. The ace spectrum is definitely bigger than I thought it was.” Bard said. He was rummaging through his closet trying to find a clean shirt. 

“You should really get out of those pants, they’re still damp.” Thranduil said. 

“They’re fine.” Bard dismissed, smelling a shirt he'd picked up before throwing it on the floor.

“They are not.” Thranduil persisted, getting up and feeling Bard's trousers for himself, pinching them at the knee. “Take them off or I will do it for you.”

“You wouldn’t.” Bard said, a sudden shake in his voice. He would be lying if he hadn’t thought about his and Thranduil’s last night together. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to go all the way, or if it would just take time to build up to it, but pleasuring each other was definitely something he’d enjoyed. He didn't know if Thranduil had meant to sound sexual, but seeing the way Thranduil was looking at him now made it seem likely.

“Only if you let me.” Thranduil said, his voice changing suddenly to something very soft and caring, his eyes filled with nothing but love. “I’d never do anything you don’t want me to.”

“I know. That’s why I love you.” Bard said. He could feel his heart beating powerfully against his chest now. He was just so happy that Thranduil was here in front of him after months of nothing but phone calls that it finally hit him. Bard lunged forward and wrapped his arms around the blonde tightly, receiving the same intensity back from Thranduil. They stood there, basking in each other’s space for almost too long, clinging and breathing in and talking softly, telling each other how much this meant.

Then Bard felt Thranduil’s teeth on his skin. 

“Can I try something?” Thranduil asked, whispering it into the brunette’s ear.

“What?”

“Can I touch you? Down there?”

Bard smirked. “You’ll have to take my pants off first, they are kind of chafing.”

“I knew it.” Thranduil said quietly, triumphant. They both knew that they wanted to do this, even with Bard’s parents still in the house. They’d just have to be as quiet as possible. 

Thranduil kissed Bard sweetly on the lips before moving down slowly to reach his collar bones. He knew that Bard didn’t have sensitive nipples, so he didn’t touch them as he sank down to his knees. Bard was nearly breathless and Thranduil could feel the tension in his abdomen.

“Breathe, baby.” Thranduil said, looking up at Bard's face. “Take a deep breath.”

Bard did so a few times, feeling more relaxed after. He felt Thranduil’s nimble fingers go to the button on his jeans, pulling down the zipper, reaching around to lightly skirt his hands across his backside, pulling down what was there until he was bare before his beloved. He thought this might make him nervous, but it felt surprisingly natural to be naked in front of Thranduil.

“You are beautiful.” Thranduil said clearly as he helped Bard step out of his clothes. The blonde’s hands went up to caress Bard’s thighs and could feel him trembling slightly. “Do you want to sit or stand?”

“Maybe I should sit.” Bard confessed, feeling his knees grow weak. 

Thranduil followed Bard to the bed and knelt down between his legs once the brunette sat down. Thranduil ran his hands down the side of Bard thighs and up to his hips, caressing the skin there with his thumbs. 

“Is this ok?” The blonde asked.

“I think so.” Bard breathed. He reached out to dig his hands into Thranduil’s hair. “Kiss me?”

"Anything." Thranduil said before fulfilling the request, leaning up to meet bard's awaiting lips, relishing the feel of Bard's hands stroking through his long locks. They did this for as long as it took for Bard to realize that he was almost completely hard. 

“I’m going to move my hand down, ok?” Thranduil said, waiting for Bard's consent. 

Bard nodded, holding Thranduil close enough to keep kissing him. When he felt the first brush of contact, he gasped, his mouth disconnected from Thranduil's. The blonde smiled, moving his hand slowly, feeling Bard’s cock become fully erect in seconds. He carefully listened to Bard’s breathing while looking intently at his face to make sure he was ok. Bard’s eyes were shut, a little too tightly.

“Breathe.” Thranduil reminded him. 

“I am breathing.”

Thranduil placed his free hand to smooth the creases of Bard’s brow. “Don’t think so loudly. Lie back for me, I think it’ll help.”

Bard opened his eyes and met Thranduil's gaze before nodding. He lied back, his legs still off the bed and feet planted on the ground. He felt more exposed this way, but it wasn't a bad feeling for long. 

Thranduil had more access to Bard now, and spent a good amount of time letting his free hand roam Bard's body just about anywhere to find the places he like best. Bard loved the way Thranduil caressed him; his hands were always warm and he was always gentle, even when he groped.

“Can I kiss down your body?” Thranduil asked.

“Only if you start up here.” Bard breathed, his breaths becoming more shallow by the minute. 

They moved to lie on the bed correctly, Thranduil half on top of Bard. The blonde took off his own shirt so that they could feel skin to skin. They started kissing like they normally did, then Thranduil started moving, using his teeth, tongue, and hands, taking his time. Bard particularly liked when Thranduil grazed his teeth at the hollow in his hip, and he accidentally showed just how much he like it by writhing and moaning. He immediately felt embarrassed, and Thranduil just as quickly came back up to kiss his jaw. 

“I love the sounds you make.” Thranduil whispered in his ear. 

“I’ve never made noise like that.” Bard said. “You make me feel like letting go.”

“I know the feeling.” Thranduil purred before continuing his work where he left off at the hip. 

When Thranduil reached Bard’s member, he wasted no time in making contact. It was fully hard and leaking, lying against Bard’s abdomen. His soft lips kissed the head and he heard Bard make a nearly desperate whine. Thranduil continued further, using his tongue. He’d never done this before, and hadn’t done much research, but he wasn’t trying to do anything too heavy. Bard was so sensitive anyway, and liked it slow, so they could easily both learn what was right for them together at their own pace. 

They did this for a few minutes until Bard spoke up.

“Thran, baby, come here.”

Thranduil stopped what he was doing and was a little surprised to see that Bard wanted him to lie with him. Bard’s arms went around him tightly.

“Are we stopping?” Thranduil asked.

“I think so.” Bard said. “It’s not that I don’t like it, I just don’t need to finish. I don’t think I can right now.”

“Ok. Perfectly reasonable.” Thranduil said, kissing his neck. Bard was still breathing heavily. “So that was ok?”

“Yeah. A little more then ok.” Bard answered, resting his head on Thranduil's chest. “I love you.”

“I love you, too."

After a few minutes of restful silence, Bard's hand wondered to Thranduil's still clothed hip.

“Do you need me to...”

Thranduil chuckled. “I definitely need you. But…can we go to my place? I don’t want to hold back on being too loud."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bard's graduating high school and the whole family is there

“I don’t like wearing black.” Bard said, looking at himself in the mirror. He’d just gotten his cap and gown in the mail and his parents had been keen to see if it all fit. 

“Good to know.” Silvia said. “We’ll look for a nice white tux for your wedding, then.”

“Mom!” Bard nearly shouted in warning, although he ended up laughing. “You of all people shouldn’t want me to be married off so quickly.”

“But your suitor is so handsome and wealthy.” His mother continued to tease. 

Bard just rolled his eyes. “I guess I should be thankful that you embarrass me instead of...you know, ignore me. Some other parents would hate their kid for being in a gay relationship.”

“You don’t have to be thankful for common decency, son.” Brand said. “Just remember that we’re only trying to help you plan the wedding.”

“Dad!”

Both parents laughed, leaving Bard to pretend like he didn’t want to join in. Silvia threw an arm around her son’s shoulders and looked at him in the mirror.

“Honestly, take your time. You’re young, in love, and your whole life and the whole world is ahead of you.”

Bard looked at himself in the mirror again, seeing someone who just might be able to take on the world. At least, if he could survive the graduation ceremony. 

…

“You really want to come with me?” Thranduil asked his father. He’d just flown in the night before. It was an hour until showtime, so they were getting ready to leave. “It’s going to be hot today, and it’ll probably be a few hours."

“Of course I’m coming, the Bowman’s are practically family.” Oropher said, pocketing his keys. 

Thranduil stopped in the doorway as he was opening the door. He looked back at his father with a small, pleased smile. “You really mean that?”

“Yes. I’ve been to enough family dinners to feel that way, at least. They’re a fine bunch with open arms. Arms big enough for both of us it seems.”

Thranduil nodded, remembering that the Bowmans had started inviting Oropher over for family dinners every so often while Thranduil himself was away at college. Thranduil used to spend that kind of time with the Bowmans, and after he left, both Brand and Silvia had wanted the opportunity to get to know Oropher better. 

“I’m happy that you’re all friends.” Thranduil said, half surprised with himself that he’d said it out loud. With a brave face, he decided to continue. “I used to be worried about you. You never went out unless it was for work after mom passed."

“Yes…that’s true. It became a habit, I’m sure.” Oropher replied. “It does make my day a little brighter, having friends. And Bard’s a good kid. I’m just glad you both are happy. It’s what your mother would have wanted.”

Thranduil looked away for a moment before realizing that he didn’t need to hide his tears from his father. He looked back and smiled. “I think so too.”

…

Bard hadn’t told Thranduil about his speech. The faculty had chosen him to make one of the the three student speeches. The first two were to be from the top academic leaders, and the third was traditionally from a stand-out natural leader. Bard had assumed it would be the student body president until the new principal called him in one day and proposed that he do it. Bard had been so surprised that he nearly refused, but with a few days to think on it, and his friends and family supporting the idea, he decided to go ahead and write a speech.

The ceremony was being held in the football field and the audience were seated in the bleachers. Bard was a little nervous while listening to the secret student speech, but once his name was called, his instincts kicked in and the nerves were gone. When his name was called, he stood from his seat among his classmates and briskly walked up to the podium. He looked over to where he knew his parents would be and was happy to see Thranduil and Oropher with them. He could see the surprised look on Thranduil’s face and couldn’t help but feel just a little proud of himself. 

Stepping up to the microphone, he began. 

“I’m proud to stand by my fellow classmates today. Most of us have been together for a very long time, and these years--including the good and the bad-- will be what keeps us connected for the rest of our lives. 

"We may be a small town, but from from where I stand, we make up for that in heart. Our families have come from so many different walks of life, and today we come together as a diverse group of unique individuals, working as a team. I had my fair share of challenges these last four years when it came to leadership, sportsmanship, civility…surviving my math tests. I learned so much from my teachers, but I think even more importantly, i’ve learned from my friends.”

“I’ve learned that true friends stick by you, throughout all your troubles, and despite all your differences. I’ve learned that every individual has a unique identity, and that respect for all is the only way to make positive progress. 

“I was asked today to speak of my accomplishments in leadership. Well, I didn’t accomplish much in my first two years. I was constantly going to detention, whether I think I deserved it or not. I was suspended more times then I care to count. Even during this maelstrom I was facing, I tried my best to pursue my talents and join the rowing team. By my junior year, I was Captain. I’ve managed a high GPA and I’ve received a full ride scholarship for rowing at Dale University. 

“But I think my favorite accomplishment is the LGBTA. My friends and I started a club here to spread awareness of queer identities and to help bridge the gap between ignorance and acceptance. We’ve hosted several events throughout our last year here, a few which have been approved by the school as official events to be done annually. We could not have done this without the partnership of the LGBT club at Mirkwood Private High, who reached out to us in friendship and solidarity after hearing about our trouble with bullying. This accomplishment alone gives me hope for our future. If we, as a generation, can band together like we did this year, love might always win.”

…

Caps were thrown, music was playing, the students all around Bard were jumping and hugging and running around in glee. Bard was just happy he’d gotten through it all, distracted enough by his own thoughts not to notice when Thranduil came up from behind him. The blonde nearly tackled him to the ground he was so excited. Bard turned in his arms and kissed him right away.

“That speech was incredible!” Thranduil said, promptly poking Bard in the ribs. “Why didn’t you tell me you were speaking?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise!” Bard laughed. “You really liked it?”

“It was wonderful!” Silvia said as the adults came up to them. “Your father cried.”

“I did.” Brand admitted. “My boy’s a born leader.”

…

The rest of the day had consisted of Bard’s family and friends throwing an impromptu graduation party in the front lawn. When it was getting late and everyone had gone, Bard opted to stay with Thranduil for the night, so they left in the evening after having their first big family dinner all together.

“Dale is only a two hour drive away from Lorien.” Thranduil said. They were lying in his bed, cuddling and nearly drifting off to sleep.

“I know.” Bard said. “We can have our regular Fridays back.”

“Screw Fridays, we’re getting the entire weekend to ourselves!”

They laughed together before snuggling even closer. Thranduil buried his face in Bard's hair, his arms snugly tucked under his boyfriend in a tight embrace. They were silent for a time before Bard spoke up again. 

“We survived long distance.”

Thranduil hummed. “We did.”

Bard kissed Thranduil's forehead. “I think we might be able to survive anything.”

“As long as we’re together, I do believe you’re right.”

Another beat passed and Bard was rubbing circles onto Thranduil's forearms. 

“What’s next, do you think? Surviving living together? Marriage? Kids?”

“How about we not overthink it.” Thranduil said, leaning up onto his elbows to look at Bard beneath him. He reached out to part the brunette's hair from out of his eyes. “You would make a great dad, though. We need at least a gaggle.”

“Of kids? Well, we did decide no less than three, if i remember correctly.”

“You do remember correctly.” Thranduil replied, leaning down to capture Bard's lips in a soft kiss. Bard sighed happily when he pulled away. 

“We could have a little one with your golden hair, and your striking blue eyes.” Bard mused. 

“What about the waves in your hair? And your beautiful brown eyes?”

“That’s why we'll have a gaggle."

The rest of the summer was theirs, and they didn't waste a second of it, even when they were sleeping in, doing nothing in particular, or spending time apart. The next few years was a mystery to them, and even now as their hopes and dreams began to intersect, they knew it was for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end! Thank you for reading, this was very fun to write :) I hop you enjoyed this little escapade, I might make more AUs like this in the near future. I like taking prompts and suggestions, so feel free to look me up:
> 
> http://smol-maeglin.tumblr.com/


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